Dear Friends,
The 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht—The Night of Broken Glass—will sadly be remembered for the organized pogrom-like attack on Jewish Israelis who had gone to Amsterdam simply to watch a soccer game. Even worse, initial reports indicate that law enforcement stood by passively at first. Only later did they take action and elected leaders speak out.
As reports came in about the attack I couldn’t help but think of this quote from Anne Frank:
“Anti-Semitism has cropped up in circles where once it would have been unthinkable. Close friends are now at the mercy of the cruelest monsters…. all because they’re Jews. The meager handful of Jews still left in Holland will have to go. We too will have to shoulder our bundles and move on, away from this beautiful country, which now turns its back on us.” – Anne Frank
I pray this is not the case in 2024 but the current reality is stronger than my prayer. Israelis are now being told not to attend other sporting events in Europe.
It is an untenable and unacceptable situation.
Reading about the riot this morning I was struck by this part of an article in The Times of Israel:
“El Al said that three planes would bring Israelis home and will land in Israel between Friday evening and early Saturday, with paramedics and other medical personnel on board to treat those who needed it. The airline does not usually operate on Saturdays, in line with traditional Jewish religious law, but eventually received permission to do so from Israel’s newly appointed chief rabbis, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Bar.”
Their decision was based on the Talmudic principle of pikuach nefesh, which teaches that saving lives takes priority over religious ritual observance.
The reminder was powerful. In the midst of this ugliness, our community stayed true to our values and prioritized the well-being of community members over some of the clearest Shabbat restrictions.
That is a tradition worth celebrating.
That is a tradition that should fill us with pride.
That is a tradition worth fighting for.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen